Electric eels and medical implants

S2 Ep 30. Smart phones could become even smarter – thanks to ants, beetles, moths and spiders! A multi-animal special episode, marking the season 2 finale. Patrick explores what could be an insect inspired phone of the future! There’s the story of the fire ants and bark beetles a ...  Show more

S2 Ep 29. Not all butterflies are colourful. The transparent wings of the longtail glasswing butterfly may hold the key to more effective eye implants. This could be of huge benefit to people with glaucoma - the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Get in touch: www.bb ...  Show more

It seems absolutely bonkers that an animal can muster ELECTRICITY, especially enough to send out a zap like a taser. 

But that's exactly what electric eels can do, and the world record holder more than doubles the voltage of the Australian electricity supply. 

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How does the electric eel generate its juice and how did six different lineages of bioelectric fish evolve on this planet of ours? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind.

**Muscle-like action**: Researchers are exploring the use of piezoelectric materials to create artificial muscles in robots. By leveraging the properties of piezoelectric materials, such as their ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical strain, scientists aim to devel ...  Show more

A mountain, a tower, a thermos full of molten salt: These are the batteries that could power our renewable future. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vo ...  Show more